Double-decked vehicle.



L. SPA'NGLER. DOUBLE DEGKED VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED 0UT.10, 1913.

Patented J an. 27, 1914.

4: SHEETS-SHEET 1.

17a W P L. SPANG ER. DOUBLE DEGKED VEHICLE. APPLIQATION FILED OUT. 10, 1913 I Patented Jan. 27', 19%

- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L. SPANGLBR. DOUBLE DEOKBD VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED 0013.10, 1913.

085,504. -PatentedJan.27,-1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 a W a I 1 L. sP'ANGLER.

DOUBLEDEGKED VEHICLE.

v APPLICATION FILED OUT-10, 1913. 1 085 504 Patented Jan 2l 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

wzauscsi UNITED STATES PATENT oEF oE.

" LUDWIG SPKNG-LER, 0F VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

DOUBLE-Decker) VEHICLE.

Original application filed May 21, 1913,

and useful Improvements in Double-Decked Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains'to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a double decked vehicle and has for its object to improve the construction and increase the seat capacity of such vehicles.

The present application is a divlsion of my prior application filed May 21st 1913,

. Ser. No. 769030.

In the annexed drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation a plan of the lower deck a plan of the upper deck and a transverse section of a car embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows similar views of a modification of the same. Fig. 3 shows similar views of an autobus embodying my invention. Fig. at shows similar views of a modification of the autobus illustrated by Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows views similar to Fig. 1 of afurther modification of my invention. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a modified tram car embodying my invention.

In order to reduce. the total height of the vehicle as far as possible and to provide for a clear height'of the passage wayson both decks permitting the passengers'to stand and go upright, I employ on both decks transverse double benches opposing each other with the backs, the neighboring double benches on each deck being separatedby atransverse passage way, and so stagger or arrange the double transverse benches on the two decks that the transverse passage ways on the one deck are vertically above or below the benches of the other, the floor of the upper deck being cut away under the benches on the same.

Fig. 1 shows such an arrangement in a railway or street car without a motor, the

entrance and exit doors 2 being arranged at the sides in the central portion. From these doors leads a longitudinal passage way 11 along the side of the car to the stairs 1 from the lower deck to theupper. deck and which are arranged at the ends of the cars. On both decks transverse double benches op- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914;

Serial No. 769,030. Divided and this application filed October 10, 1913. Serial No. 794,526.

other'by transverse passage ways 14 while on the upper deck the double benches 13 are separated from each other by transverse passage ways 15. The transverse passage ways 14, 15 lead into the longitudinal passage ways 11 and 161respectively which are arranged on opposite sides of the car. The double benches 12, 13 on the two decks are staggered or arranged in such a manner that the transverse passage ways 14, 15 of one deck are vertically below or above the transverse double benches 13 or 12 respectively on the other deck, the floor of the upper deck being cut away under the benches 13. The clear height of the transverse passage ways of the lower deck is therefore equal to the distance between the two decks plus the height of the seats of the upper deck and this permits the reduc-- tion of the height of the lower deck and at the same time enables the passengers to stand. and go z-upright. Thus the total height of thecai is reduced. In order to obtain the required clear height of the passage way 11 of the lower deck, the part of the floor of the upper deck just above this passage way must be raised to a suitable extent, This is realized most advantageously by interposing seats between neighboring double benches of the upper deck and cutting away the floor under such seats as indicated in the drawings. The clear height of the upper floor must of course a be saflicientto permit the passengers to stand upright. The part ofwthg lower deck below the longitudinal passage way 16 of the upper deck is too low for a passage way,

but it can be utilized'forseats interposed between the transverse benches as shown in Fig. 1. Preferably on the upper deck an way between two neighboring transverse llt benches, the clear width of the transverse passagelways of the lower deck is greater in its upper part than in its lower part,

whereby the danger of the passengers hurting thgrnselves o'nl' rising briskly is greatly ""reduced. "This arrangement offers moreovef the advantage that the wheels may be conveniently located under double llenches of the lower deck and that therefore the 1() floor of the lower deck may be located at an exceptionally low level which also contributes to the reduction of the total height of-the car. Ifthe longitudinal passage way on the lower deck comes above the wheels 2. step or the like will have to be in- If with this ar-' terposcd into the same. iungement the entrance and exit doors are at the side the car can be run with only one particular end foremost. This drawback is done away with by providing entrance and exit doors at the ends of the car.

In Fig. 2 the application of the invention to an electrically driven car is shown in which for more conveniently locating the driving wheels and motors, the floor of the this case located in the central portion and the passage way to the stairs 1 at the endsof the car is at one side of the same. A stop 17 is interposhd in the passage way 11 between the central portion of the lower deck 35 and each of its end-portions and for reducing the height of this step, the floor of the lower deck may slope down from the said step to the center of the car. One or two steps of the two flight stairs 1 may lead to 0 the end platform 18 from which the second flight of the stairs leads to the upper deck. In Fig. 2 it is assumed that in the central portion of the car the distance between the floors of the two decks is suficient to permit 5 the passengers to stand upright. The passage way of the lower deck may be at the same side of the car on the right and left hand side of the entrance and exit door or doors or" it may be on one side of the car at the right hand side of the said door and on the opposite side of the car at the left hand side of this door. The seats in the central portion of the lower and the upper deck may then be arranged at will; in the e'nd portions of the lower deck and in the portions of the upper deck above the same transverse double benches 12, 13 and transverse passage ways 14, 15 are arranged in the manner described above with reference so to Fig. 1. Also the floor of the upper deck above the longitudinal passage way 11 is placed at a higher level and utilized for seats beween the transverse benches while below tic lon itudinal assaszc we 16 of :J i s.

a the upper deck seats are provided between the transverse benches of the il ower deck. The freedom of arranging the seats in the central portion of the lower deck permits providing entrance and exit doors on both sides of the'car. I may also provide in the central portion of the lower 'deck longitudinal benches reaching as far as possible towardthe ends of the car so that the lateral longitudinal passage way is short and begins near the end of the car. This facilitates entering and leaving the car.

In Fig. 3'the invention is shown as applied to an omnibus. The entrance and exit door 2 is at the rear platform 18 from which the stairs 2 lead to the upper deck and its longitudinal passage way 16- and from which also the longitudinal passage way 11 of the lower deck is reached. In all other respects the arrangement is the same as inthe car shown in Fig. 1 or in the end portions of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4-. illustrates a modification of the arrangement described with reference to Fig. 3, In this modification the entrance into the longitudinal passa e way of the lower deck is in the center of the width of the platform 18; The longitudinal passage way 1h first runs between benches 21, 22 at the sides of the vehicle in the center or nearly in the center of the width of the same and then turns to one side andto the transverse passages 14. On the upper deck two longitudinal benches 23 with the backs opposing each other are arranged above the rear end of the passage way 11 of the lower deck. Of the two lateral passage ways 16 one is continued toward the front end of the vehicle up to the transverse passage ways 15. The floor of the upper deck is cut away under the double bench 23 in order to give the longitudinal passage way of the lower deck the required clear height, the floor of the lower deck is recessed under the benches 21, 23 for accommodating the rear wheels.

If desired a foot rest 24 may be provided in front of one or both longitudinal benches under which foot rest the floor of the upper deck is cut away as is well known in the art. Similar foot rests may be provided on the lower deck as isindicated in dotted lines at 20 in Fig. 4. A similar arrangement may also be used in an electrically operated tram car such as shown in Fig. 2, that is to say, as .illustrated in Fig. 6, a central or substantially central longitudinal passage way' at a lower level in the central portion of the 3 car where the wheels are not in the way.

Thus the required clearheight may be obtained below the floor of the upper deck.

Fig. illustrates how the invention may be applied to cars which are so broad that i there is suflicient space for a longitudinal passage way on both sides of the trucks. In this casethe floor of the two longitudinal passage ways 11 and 19 of the lower deck may be arranged at a level sufiiciently low for obtaining the required clear height for these passage ways. The transversebenches 12 on the lower deck are located between the two longitudinal passage ways on a portion of the floor sufliciently raised throughout its length for accommodating the wheels so that the transverse passage ways 13 are reached from the longitudinal passage ways 11 and 19 over steps, The transverse benches 14 of the upper deck are arranged, bet-ween two longitudinal passage ways 16, 26 located right'above the passage ways -11, 19 of the lower deck. The double benches of the two decks are staggered as above described, the floor of the upper deck being cutaway under itsbenches; One of the longitudinal passage ways of the lower deck for instance 11 may extend-over part of the length of the car only, seats beinginterposed between the remaining transverse double benches as shown-in Fig. 4. Also one of the longitudinal passage ways of the upper deck may extend over part only of the length of the car or'may be entirely dispensed with. 1 Claims: V y 1. In a double decked vehicle the combination of a low,er deck and an upper deck, transverse do uble benches on both decks, transverse passage ways between neighborin transverse double benches andlongit-udi- 11a passage ways communicating with the said transverse passage ways on both decks, the transverse double benches and intervening transverse passage ways on one deck be ing staggered relati ely to those on the other deck and the floor of the upper deck being cut away under the transverse benches on the upper deck.

2. In a double decked vehicle thecombination of a lower deck and an upper deck,

transverse double benches on both decks, transverse passage ways between neighb'oring transverse double benches and longitudinal passage wayscommunicating with the said transverse passage ways on both decks, the transverse double benches and intervening transverse passage ways onone deck being staggered relatively to those on the other deck and the floor of the upper deck being cutaway under the transverse benches ,on the" pper deck, at least part of a longitudinal assage way on one deck being on the side'of the vehicle opposite to that-on which a longitudinal passage way on the other deck is situated and seats being interposed between the transverse double benches at the ,ends of the transverse passage ways remotest from one of the longitudinal passage ways,

the floor of the upper deck being cutaway Endker such interposed seats on such upper 3. In a double decked vehicle the combination of a lower deck and an upper deck, transverse double benches on both decks, transverse passage ways between neighboring transverse double benches and longitudi nal passage ways connnunicating'with the said transverse passage ways on both decks, the transverse double benches and intervening transverse passage ways on one deck being staggered relatively to those on the other deck and the floor of the upper deck being cut away under the transverse benches on the upper deck and the floor of at least part of the longitudinal passage ways of the lower deck being at a lower level than the floor of the transverse passage ways of the I lower deck.

- In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of two wltnesses.

LUDWIG SPANGLER. 

